1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a communication apparatus that receives a request from an external device and reacts to the request, a method for controlling the communication apparatus, a system including the communication apparatus, a program that makes a computer function as the communication apparatus, and a medium that stores the program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various communication apparatuses with functions to receive requests from an external device and conduct a process according to the requests and reply responses to the requests have been proposed. These functions are called request-dealing functions herein.
In consideration of security and processing load, some communication apparatuses have been provided with request-dealing functions that can be switched between valid and invalid, so as to turn into valid only when necessary.
Additionally, to switch valid and invalid by accessing from an external device, some communication apparatus provided with waiting-for-setting status besides valid and invalid have been proposed. Communication apparatuses in this waiting for setting status generally do not reply valid responses to requests from outside. However in a case that communication apparatuses receive requests to make request-dealing functions valid, communication apparatuses make request-dealing functions valid and reply accordingly.
The waiting for registration status is useful for, for example, a management system to make communication apparatuses conduct various processes from external devices using request-dealing functions of the communication apparatuses and manage communication apparatuses based on the results of the processes.
That is, as shown in FIG. 17, if factory default of a communication apparatus is waiting for setting (waiting for registration), by accessing from an external device to make a request-dealing function valid after a communication apparatus is installed in a user's office or the like; when the communication apparatus are shipped from a factory, the request-dealing function of the communication apparatus does not work. When the communication apparatus becomes a management subject, the communication apparatus is automatically set to work. Additionally, if the communication apparatus returns to waiting for registration status when the communication apparatus ceases to be a management subject, the request-dealing function returns to a valid state automatically when the communication apparatus becomes a management subject again.
On the other hand, if the request-dealing function is completely invalid, it is necessary to set manually in order to make the request-dealing function valid. Accordingly, by using the waiting for setting status, it is possible to reduce labor in registering a communication apparatus as a management subject of a management system.
Technologies regarding waiting for setting status of a request-dealing function are described in Japanese Laid-Open Application No. 2004-180276, for example.
However, a user of a communication apparatus does not want request-dealing functions of every communication apparatus to be valid. However, in the case communication apparatuses in waiting for setting status are shipped and installed in an environment where devices sending requests to make request-dealing functions valid exist, the request-dealing function may become valid contrary to a user's intention.
Additionally, in some cases, after the request-dealing function becomes valid once, it is not wanted to always allow for conducting a process according to a request from an external device. And in these cases, there are needs to make request-dealing functions valid only when necessary.
However, a method for controlling that utilizes a waiting-for-setting status like the communication apparatus described above, and solves the problem described above has not been known.